An Outdoor & Environmental Job Site

Job Description

Are you ready for a challenge? Spend a season or two working hard preserving our environment as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Camp up to seven nights outs in the field, and work long ten hour days bettering Nevada’s public lands, then spend your off-days roaming across this immense and wild state. Check out aspen covered mesas, sage brush valleys, prehistoric oceans turned salt flats, the darkest, star filled skies in America, ancient volcanoes, massive sand dunes and snow-capped granite peaks. Nevada is completely underrated in its opportunities for recreation and career opportunities in the Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource management field.

As a Nevada Conservation Corps Crew Member you will be given the opportunity to gain important technical and life skills. As a program within the educationally focused Great Basin Institute we are dedicated to not only teaching you skills required to accomplish the task at hand, but to provide you skills to further your environmental sciences career. The Crew Member position is the perfect entry level position in the conservation field and we intentionally structure our program to provide for possible upward mobility within the Great Basin Institute or to act as a stepping stone for your government career. Many of our alumni have gone on to do just that, some are now even our project partners.

The challenges will be numerous and difficult. The weather may bring you hot summer sun during the day and hail at night when you are trying to cook dinner on your camp stove. You will be tested mentally and physically, but you will grow as a person, overcoming professional and interpersonal obstacles under the guidance of the experienced Nevada Conservation Corps Staff. Come make a difference in this world.

Are you ready?

You will start the season based out of Las Vegas working on a massive effort by the Bureau of Land Management(BLM) and USGS to restore areas affected by the devasting wildfires that sweeped Southern Nevada in 2005 and 2006. We will be dispersing seeds and planting of native species to create habitat islands in the Mojave desert. After the planting season we will work continue to work with the BLM National Conservation Areas, four different USFWS wildlife refuges, Southern Nevada Water authority, Clark County Wetlands Park.

Possible projects your crew may be assigned to:
Restoration at Big Dunes, NV to create habitat for the endemic Giuliani beetle.
Native seed collection for BLM’s nation wide Seeds of Success program.
Invasive species removal to allow native plants to resestablish themselves
Spring restoration in the Spring Mountains to improve habitat for the endemic spring snail. Includes planting and fence construction to keep wild horses and burros out of the springs.
Pond habitat restoration for the Relic leopard frog.
Riparian Restoration
Decommisioning and restoration of illegal OHV tracks.
Desert cleanup. Removing refuse that has been unfortunately dumped in our deserts.

Nevada Conservation Corps Crews have been working to preserve, restore and protect Nevada’s public lands since 1999. Crews have accomplished projects ranging from invasive species removal, forest fuels reduction, trail construction, fencing, biological surveys, native species planting, riparian restoration, trash removal, illegal track decommissioning, nursery work, seeding, or herbicide application. These projects are often located in remote and primitive locations across Nevada and are accomplished through cooperative agreements with project partners at the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation among many other local, county, state, private, and nonprofit organizations.

The Great Basin Institute is the largest provider of AmeriCorps Volunteer positions in the State of Nevada. AmeriCorps Volunteers make a commitment to serving the community and in turn are are given a modest living allowance during their term of service and an education award upon completion of the program. In appreciation for your service work, we will direct you and guide you to gain valuable skills, professional connections, and experience for your future in environmental sciences and natural resource management.

Nevada Conservation Corps is recruiting continuously, if these dates don’t work for your current schedule please contact the recruiter anyway and we can start planning for you to join us in a future season.

Location:
You will be based out of a field station:
Las Vegas Field Station
11795 S. Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada

Note: We will will provide camping locations and transportation during your work week, but housing and transportation during off days is not provided by the Nevada Conservation Corps and will be your sole responsibility. We recommend you have your own personal vehicle with you.

Compensation and Benefits:
Living Allowance:
To help offset your living costs while you are volunteering with us, AmeriCorps Volunteers are paid a biweekly living allowance of roughly $700. (taxable income)

Education Award:
Upon successful completion of your term you will be given access to your Segal Education award which can be used for Title IV university/college tuition or to pay for federal student loans. The education award is only considered taxable income on the day you use the award. [?]
Education Award amounts are dependent on the length of your term:
For a 3 month term the amount is $1,527.45
For a 4 month term the amount is $2,199.92
For a 6 month term the amount is $2,887.50

Insurance:
Affordable Care Act Compliant Health, Dental and Vision Insurance will be completely paid for at no cost to you by the Great Basin Institute.

Per Diem
For every day you work in the field with us you will receive $7.25. This is in addition to your Living Allowance and on average is $58.00 biweekly.

Loan Forbearance:
If you are currently paying interest on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer. [?]

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility:
AmeriCorps Volunteers qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Nevada Conservation Corps will provide you documentation in proving that you qualify for SNAP.

Educational Affiliation Agreements (College Credit)
The Nevada Conservation Corps will take part in Affiliation Agreements with your university in order to allow you to receive college credit hours for your term of service.

Skills & Education:
You will be certified in First Aid and CPR
You will be certified in Leave No Trace

Job Qualifications:
Physical Qualifications:
• Ability to work for 10.5 hours a day and to contribute to post-work day tasks and chores.
• Ability to hike up to 10 miles a day with heavy backpacks
• Ability to carry 25 pounds continuously and 50 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to camp up to seven consecutive nights in primitive locations without access to running water and restrooms in all possible weather conditions. Assisting in food preparation, planning, and clean up
• Ability to effectively operate machinery and tools while following production and quality standards set by the Nevada Conservation Corps.
• Follow strict safety protocol and maintain personal safety of self and others.

AmeriCorps Qualifications:
• Ability to commit to an entire term of service with AmeriCorps
• Be at least 17 years of age.
• Be a U.S Citizen or Legal Resident Alien
• Be able to complete a successful check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and a federal criminal background check.
• Be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (Limit of four unique terms in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards).
• Possess High school diploma or GED (or provide proof of intent to complete before using education award)

How to Apply

To apply: http://crcareers.thegreatbasininstitute.org/careers/Careers.aspx?rf=ADVENTUREJOBS&REQ=2017-NCC-018